SERUM GAMMA GLUTAMYL TRANSPEPTIDASE (GGTP) ACTIVITY: A CHEMICAL DETERMINANT OF ALCOHOL USE IN ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

With the recent increase in significant alcohol consumption among adolescents and adults, attempts have been made to identify a biochemical marker of such excessive alcohol use. Studies in adults have demonstrated serum GGTP activities, presumably of hepatic origin, to be elevated in direct relation to alcohol intake while other chemical indicators of liver dysfunction were rarely affected. This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between serum GGTP activity and alcohol consumption during adolescence. Fifty-five patients, ages 12 to 22 years, including 9 females and 46 males, comprised the study population. Alcohol consumption was categorized as teetotaler, social drinker, mild drinker (1-2/d), moderate drinker (3-5/d) or heavy drinker (6 or more/d). Serum GGTP, transaminase and alkaline phosphatase activities were determined. The 40 adolescents, who had a history of alcohol consumption ranging from teetotaler to 5 drinks/d, had normal serum GGTP activities (< 25 mU/ml). Among the 15 patients who consumed 6 or more drinks/d, 12 demonstrated elevated GGTP activity. Evidence of hepatic disease in these heavy drinkers was negligible, suggesting the abnormal GGTP concentrations may not be secondary to liver disease. It would appear from these data that elevated serum GGTP levels in the presence of other normal liver tests may be a valuable marker of significant alcohol consumption and warrant inclusion among the laboratory screening procedures performed in teenage patients suspected of heavy alcohol consumption.